


In Every Celebration

by bearbaitbrook



Series: On Every Page [6]
Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Birthday, Birthday Presents, F/M, Fluff, Happy Ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-20
Updated: 2021-01-20
Packaged: 2021-03-18 18:48:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,003
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28871835
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bearbaitbrook/pseuds/bearbaitbrook
Summary: Jughead Jones hated his birthday, about like the Grinch hated Christmas. No one but him (and Archie Andrews, best friend since childhood,) quite knew the reason. It wasn't that his head wasn't screwed on just right (although Archie's girlfriend, Veronica Lodge, was quite fond of telling him that he had a few screws loose), and it wasn't that his shoes were perhaps too tight (that's not to say he hadn't experienced this feeling way too often in the first sixteen years of his life). And, definitely unlike the Grinch, it wasn't that his heart was two sizes too small- Betty Cooper, his girlfriend of several years was quite fond of telling him that he had the biggest heart she knew of.A history of Jughead's birthday, leading up to the best one yet.
Relationships: Archie Andrews/Veronica Lodge, Betty Cooper/Jughead Jones
Series: On Every Page [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1993057
Comments: 5
Kudos: 44





	In Every Celebration

**Author's Note:**

> The writers block has been real... I'm literally at the stage where it takes an hour to write one paragraph. But it's finally done! I'm running out of ideas for this world, so if there's anything in particular you'd like to see, leave it in the comments.
> 
> Birthday fluff ahead! Enjoy!

Jughead Jones hated his birthday, about like the Grinch hated Christmas. No one but him (and Archie Andrews, best friend since childhood,) quite knew the reason. It wasn't that his head wasn't screwed on just right (although Archie's girlfriend, Veronica Lodge, was quite fond of telling him that he had a few screws loose), and it wasn't that his shoes were perhaps too tight (that's not to say he hadn't experienced this feeling way too often in the first sixteen years of his life). And, definitely unlike the Grinch, it wasn't that his heart was two sizes too small- Betty Cooper, his girlfriend of several years was quite fond of telling him that he had the biggest heart she knew of.

There was no defining event that led to his birthday hatred - no deaths, profound absences or disappointments marred the day. Jughead, in fact, had some rather fond memories of his early birthdays. His family gathered together happily, sang him the song and watched him blow out the candles on a cake and open the present they had scraped money together for. Looking back, those birthday parties were the only day that his family had ever looked happy, back when they still were a family, albeit a highly dysfunctional one, before his mom and sister had left for Toledo, leaving him with a violent, alcoholic father.

It was probably the abject normalcy of the day that drove his birthday hatred. As he got older, he grew to resent that his, and his kid sister Jellybean's birthdays were the only days that his parents could move past their own bullshit to do something nice for their children. 

On his fifteenth birthday, he had had enough. He had been living with Archie and Fred Andrews at the time. His mom and sister had left for Toledo not long before, and FP was still on the bender that that event had sent him on. Two nights prior, his dad had taken a swing at him and connected. Jughead packed up his things that night, never to return, and let himself into the Andrews house with the spare key that was hidden under the flower pot by the front door. Archie and Fred had offered to do something special for Jughead's birthday, even offering to host a small gathering of friends, but Jughead swore to the both of them that he was done with his birthday. 

From then on, the only indicator that October 2nd was any different than the other 364 days of the year was that a cake would mysteriously arrive on his counter during the night, as if delivered by a distant relative of the tooth fairy or Santa Claus. Jughead had granted Archie this one concession under the condition that Archie was sworn to secrecy to never reveal Jughead's birthday to anyone.

Archie had upheld this oath like any good blood brother should do… that is, until Jughead met Betty Cooper. 

His first birthday with Betty was uneventful. They'd only been dating for a few months, and he, coincidentally, had been out of town on his birthday. Archie left cupcakes in Jughead's apartment when he returned, and Betty was none the wiser about the relevance of October 2nd, until they had been dating for almost a year and Betty was in the middle of planning a double date birthday dinner for Veronica's birthday. She had done the math and realized that there was no way that Jughead could have not had a birthday since they had gotten together, and asked Archie one night while she was over at Veronica and Archie's apartment.

She was, understandably, hurt that Jughead hadn't told her this important piece of information himself, and they spent a rather silent evening together in her bed, after Jughead had sent his blood brother a text chewing him out for his betrayal. He neglected to tell his girlfriend the reason why he chose to keep his birthday private. In hindsight, telling her and getting it over with would have caused much less trouble for him the following year, but he was dumb and in love, and, while he wanted to spend the rest of his life with Betty more than anything, he honestly was a little unsure of whether he and Betty would still be together in a year. She was, after all, Betty freaking Cooper, On Every Page's editing extraordinaire, capable of handing Ethel Muggs' ass back to her with a polite smile on her face, all while editing her way to the top of the company all in less than a year. And he was, well... him. 

Despite his doubts, Betty and Jughead made it to a second year. The second birthday Jughead spent with Betty, she had tried to throw him a birthday party, trying to make up for the celebration that she had neglected to throw the year before. He probably should have cut her off before she got the wind in her sails, but apparently he was an idiot who was incapable of communicating, even though he was an editor and aspiring novelist who made a living by studying and writing about the tiny nuances of human communication and conflict. She had tried to invite everyone from work (minus Ethel), plus Jughead's sister and Archie and Veronica… until Jughead found out. In yet another of his brilliant "Jughead's an asshole" maneuvers, he had yelled at her that he wasn't one of her projects and to stop trying to perfectly plan his life, before walking out of her apartment, slamming the door behind him.

He heard her hurt sob just as the door shut, and he made it all but two steps past the door before he had turned around, making his way back into her apartment to apologize, feeling like an absolute dick. He had apologized, falling to his knees in front of her, wiping her tears and holding her tightly to his chest, while she swore that she wasn't trying to control anything- she just wanted to give him a day to celebrate how special he was. Several fantastic rounds of makeup sex later, they decided to compromise by taking his birthday off of work together and spending the day in bed. She added to Archie's annual birthday cake with homemade cupcakes of her own, and started a new birthday tradition when a new set of black lingerie peeked out from underneath her silky bathrobe. 

It had been a perfect day, the perfect way to spend his birthday- holding onto to his one and only, the girl who meant more to him than anyone and anything else in the world - which was why he didn't blame her for being surprised when he announced to her several weeks before the third birthday that he was spending with her, that he wanted to have a small party to celebrate.

"What?" she asked in disbelief. "You, Jughead I'm the birthday grinch Jones, wants to have a birthday party?"

"Yeah, Betts, I do," he replied. "Nothing big… but us, and a few friends, in our apartment," he grinned as he said 'our apartment,' just like he had every other time he's said it since they moved in together over six months ago. "I just… I'm happy, you know? I'm a published author, I live with the amazing woman that I'm in love with, my best friends live a few blocks away… I never thought as a kid that I would even be remotely close to being this happy. I feel like… I don't know… maybe it's time to turn over a new leaf on the whole birthday thing, you know?"

"Jug," Betty said, swinging her legs onto their couch (their couch!) and into his lap, cuddling close. His arm went around her out of habit, and he thanked whatever higher power was out there that they had brought Betty Cooper to him. "If this is what you want, I can absolutely make it happen. But are you sure? I mean… I don't really want a repeat of last year."

"I'm positive, Betts. I can't think of a better way to spend my birthday than with you and a few of our friends, here at our place. Now…" he leaned over and kissed her hungrily, deprived of her company for entirely too long (he'd been writing at home, alone, all day while she dealt with publication emergencies one after another), a kiss that left her whimpering as be pulled away. "What do you say we start celebrating a little early?" 

She kissed him again in response and moved to straddle his lap. For the next, long while, there was no mention of birthdays, no talking at all besides the sound of her breathless moans as she fell apart around his body and let him put her back together.

But later that night, after Jughead was sure that Betty was asleep, he crept to the living room with his phone and sent a text to Archie which he quickly deleted:  _ Operation Birthday Present is ago. _

_ *** _

The next three weeks went quickly. Jughead was out of town for one of them, away on a small book tour to the West Coast to promote his third novel that had just been published. Betty, likewise, had been busy at work. She had (finally) fired Ethel Muggs, tired of the months of insubordination and years of disrespectful behavior that Ethel had sent her way as the result of Betty being Jughead's girlfriend. Jughead was honestly disappointed that he had been out of town when shit had finally hit the fan - he would have bought front row tickets to witness the conversation that took place in Betty's office, based on Betty's description of it to him later than night on the phone. 

The next week, Betty went into full on party planning mode - invites, food, decorations, the whole nine years. Although, to be fair, Jughead was in planning mode as well. He had made a stop at a certain overpriced shop and finally picked up the pricey find he had been slowly paying off for the past six months. It sat heavy at the bottom of his computer bag for several days, the one place he was sure that Betty would never accidentally stumble across it, although that didn't stop him from watching her with bated breath whenever she wandered into its vicinity. Several days later, he wrapped it up and sent it over to Archie Andrews, telling him to bring it back on the day of his birthday party, and good-naturedly joking that his blood brother had a debt to be paid for his betrayal nearly two birthdays ago. 

With one week to go, he received a mysterious text message from Veronica Lodge summoning him to her abode. Jughead arrived at her and Archie's apartment, confused by what she could possibly want. But then she held up the small, nondescript, wrapped box, a knowing look in her eyes.

"You're doing it, then?" she asked him excitedly.

Jughead nodded, a nervous smile on his face.

"When?"

"My birthday."

"What do you need me to do?" He grinned - he had planned on Veronica finding out and offering her non-optional help. 

"Well, Veronica, now that you've asked…"

***

On the morning of his twenty-seventh birthday, Jughead woke up in the best way possible: to the smell of freshly brewed coffee (courtesy of the timer on their coffee machine) and with his arms wrapped firmly around Betty. She was curled into his side, her head on his chest, his nose buried in her hair. 

She must have felt him stir because she shifted, and soon she was gazing up at him, eyes full of love.

"Happy Birthday, Jug," she whispered, still half asleep. "Coffee?"

"In a minute. Lay here with me for a bit longer." She seemed all too happy to oblige as she cuddled deeper into his body. He closed his eyes and felt sleep pulling at him again, comfortable in her surrounding warmth.

When he awoke again, later, her warmth was gone. He heard banging in the kitchen and figured that she was in full party prep mode. He showered quickly, intent on helping her, only to find Veronica Lodge with Betty in their kitchen when he emerged.

"Morning, Betts," he said, kissing her briefly as he made his way to the coffee pot.

"Drink your coffee and then get out," Veronica ordered briskly. "You're spending today with Archie at my house."

"Betts?"

"No party prepping on your birthday," Betty said firmly. "Go have fun. I have V here to help, I'll be fine."

He tried to argue, but Betty pushed him out the door, stopping only to give him a peck on his lips before she began to close the door. "I promise, I'll call you if I need help! Now go, Birthday boy! I love you."

***

The party was nice - there was a distinct Betty Cooper air to it, dignified and classy, effortlessly blending with his more lowbrow preferences. She was tired, he could see, and he loved her all the more for doing this for him - for taking the time to make this birthday his most memorable. 

He thoroughly enjoyed himself, surrounded by Betty's cooking, the love of his life and their friends. But the best was yet to come.

When all of their friends, save for Archie and Veronica had cleared from the apartment, Jughead gave a covert nod towards Veronica, who immediately launched into action.

"Anyone up for a nightcap up on the roof? It's so nice out tonight, it would be a shame to waste it. C'mon Bettykins, let's go set the ambiance. Boys, you'll be up with our drinks in a minute?"

  
  


Jughead and Archie nodded the affirmative and then watched as the girls made their way out the front door, heading for the stairs.

"You ready for this, man?" Archie asked. Jughead felt like he was going to puke, whether it was from excitement, nerves, or some combination of both, he wasn't sure, but nodded at Archie.

"As I'll ever be. Let's go - it's been enough time." He took the still wrapped package back from Archie and tucked it into his jacket pocket, before walking out the door and towards his (hopeful) future.

Unbeknownst to Betty, Jughead had not gone straight to Archie's when he left the apartment this morning. Archie had met him up on the roof with a box of fairy lights, candles, and blankets. A bottle of champagne was left up there, hidden away in the corner while the boys had strung the lights and positioned the candles. Veronica had agreed to lead Betty up to the roof and make her wait for the boys at the door, under the guise that they couldn't manage it with the drinks they carried, while Veronica lit the candles.

"Long time no see," Betty joked, taking an empty champagne flute from Jughead. "What's this?" she asked, glancing down at her empty glass. "I thought the point was that you were going to put something in it?"

Archie left them standing by the door, as planned.

Betty glanced over her shoulder and, seeing Archie disappear out of sight, reached up and gave him a kiss that took his breath away.

"Happy Birthday, Jug," she whispered, burrowing into his chest for the moment. "Have a good day? Did the party fulfill all of your wildest hopes and dreams?"

"This is it," Jughead thought. 

"Actually," he started. Betty looked up at him in alarm, and he began steering them out towards the middle of the roof, walking slowly. Her eyes never left his face, concern readily apparent. "There is one thing that would make today even better than it's already been."

"Oh yeah? What?" 

Jughead didn't respond to her, eyes glued on the scene before them: Archie and Veronica waiting to the side of 2 tables, with fairy lights illuminating the air above them, like stars in a clearer sky, while candles lit the floor below. The chairs were lined with blankets, ready for a long evening of cuddling and laughter and conversations about a happy future.. A grin slid across his face, and Betty finally caught on that something was going on.

"Jughead, what is going…" she spun around, eyes wide as she took in the scene. "On… Jug?"

She turned back to face him, only to see that he had sunk down onto one knee. Her hands covered her mouth and tears began streaming down her cheeks.

"Betty Cooper," he began, choking slightly on his words. "Betts, I thank God every single day that I talked you into that second first date, because I know, completely and absolutely, that my life wouldn't be the same without you in it. You are the first person I want to see when I wake up and the last person I want to see before I close my eyes." 

Betty sunk down to her knees in front of him, and caressed his cheek with a trembling hand as he continued speaking.

"You are my best friend, and the only person I have ever envisioned having a future with. You make me a better person, every single day. I love you, Betty Cooper. And I can think of no better birthday gift to myself than if you promised to spend your future with me."

Betty was smiling and nodding and sobbing and before she could answer with any sort of intelligible words, her lips were on his, warm and loving and desperately needy, and utterly and completely his.

"Marry me, Betts?" he asked when they finally broke away. He reached into his jacket pocket and took out a small jewelry box sized package, wrapped with festive wrapping paper and tied at the top with a ribbon and a bow.

"Yes! Yes!" 

He handed her the box, gesturing to her to unwrap it.

"Juggie, it's your birthday… shouldn't you be the one opening it?"

"I have the only gift I need, right in front of me."

"Together?"

"Together."


End file.
